Before You start-
Pomegranates are beautiful, and plentiful during the winter months at many grocery stores. But lot’s of people aren’t sure how to eat them. It’s easy- you eat the seeds! Just be aware that pomegranate juice can leave lasting stains on clothing or anything else it touches. Before cutting your pomegranate be sure you have an apron or old shirt on. Also, that your cutting on a plastic cutting board- wood will stain as well.
How to De-Seed the Pomegranate
1 Work close to the sink, or over a large bowl. With a knife, make a cut through the top crown of the pomegranate going half-way down the fruit.
2 Use your fingers to pry open the fruit the rest of the way. Some loose seeds will fall into your bowl.
3 Make another cut, again half-way through the fruit, starting at the crown. Use your fingers to pull it open. Your fruit will now be in quarters.
4 Working over a bowl, use your fingers to pry away the seeds from the peel and membranes. If you like, you can fill the bowl part way with water. The seeds will sink to the bottom of the water while pieces of membrane will float to the top, making it easier to separate the membranes from the seeds. If you are concerned about staining your counter top, you can pry open the pomegranate and remove the seeds underwater.
5 Once you are done stripping the pomegranate seeds from the skin and membranes, skim the membranes from the top of the water, and strain the seeds from the water.
6 These would be great to eat alone, or on a salad!
ENJOY!
About Shannon SchmidShannon traded in her sensible NYC TV producer shoes (they were best for taking the subway), for a pair of Texas Cowboy boots when she married her best friend! He's at fault for making this Yankee a Texan! Shannon writes about all things that make a house a home. Her chief blogging inspiration is being the proud & slightly neurotic mom of a preschool age daughter.
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Ooh, that looks so yummy!!! Great pics!
@NotJustAnotherJennifer, Thanks so much Jennifer! I just adore how good the seeds taste! Glad someone else loves them too:)
yum! that looks great! you know the first time I ate a pomegranate, martin showed me how at the lake, and he ripped one open and just starting tearing out the seeds. I’d honestly never had one or seen one fresh before so I thought he was insane! lol and i told him “people weren’t supposed to eat those!” lol, now I love them.
@Nikki, Soooo deelish!!! But the blood of a pomegranate would get everywhere if you just ripped it open! I bet that was a mess- but yummy:)
I love pomegranates, but they are kind of an effort to work with. My favorite way to eat the seeds is stirred into greek yogurt. Yum!
@varunner7, In yogurt?? That is GENIUS! Love that idea!
Thanks for the tips! When I was young we had a pomegranate tree in our yard. I miss having all those pomegranates!
@Cecile, A pomegranate tree in your yard?!? How AWESOME IS THAT!!
I love pomegranates! I think I am the only one who likes them in my house though so I don’t buy them often. I like that you put them on salad. I honestly have never eaten them anyway but by themselves. YUMMY will have to try it!
@Jennifer, If you try the pom seeds on a salad let me know if you like them on it as much as alone!
I’ve heard that if you quarter the pomegranate, then soak it in water for 10-15 mninutes, it’s much easier to get the seeds out. I think it was off-season when I heard that though… now I wanna go buy one and try it! 🙂
Have an Extraordinary Day!
@InspiredDreamer, Yes, you defenitely want to quarter it. But as it says above just cut half way with a knife then use your hands to pull apart. If you slice through you will have cut a bunch of seeds in half- and have a lot of pom blood to clean up. I’ve heard of soaking- but the skin inside is dead easy to peel without doing that. I cant see why it would be worth waiting 15 minutes to start when its already so soft and ready to go:)
But if you try both- def let me know your thoughts. I’ll try it that way too, if you think it makes a huge diff:)
As the guy that get’s to benefit from MilkAndCuddles wonderful culinary experiments, I can tell you this salad was wonderful. I had no idea how one ate a pomegranate. I think I’d just seen them in photos and perhaps that HBO series the Tudors or someplace like that. Anyway, they are a bit sweeter than I expected and combined well with the salad and the chicken breast she served with it. As for it’s purported aphrodisiac properties, I’ll have to get back to you on that.
@Michael @ adaddyblog.com, Oh yes! These would have been GREAT set dressing for the Tudors. Especially being cut into bleeding on the table..lol.
Now this was both fun and educational! I had no clue how to eat a Pomegranate!!! That salad looks completely delish!!! Great presentation!!!
@Mitzi, Thanks Mitzi I’m glad! The seeds really are so yummy- it wasn’t called the fruit of the Gods in Ancient Greece for nothing! Poms are deelish! If you try it let me know if you like it!
Oh man! I haven’t had pomegranate in ages. This makes me want to go out and buy some!
@laughwithusblog, I know! Poms are SO yummy! You should get one! It can be a treat!
I’m nto kidding – Craig JUST brought home a pomegranate and I was like, “You eat the SEEDS?!?!?!”
I had no idea THAT is what you are eating when it comes to pomegranate!
@liz, That is CRAZY timing! Our grocery store is FULL of poms right now. And when I brought some home my husband wasnt sure what to make of them either!
PS. Love the latest blog you wrote:)
Great tip and wonderful pictures too! Kerri
My kids love helping me do this. Only we eat them as we go! Too good to wait!
there is an easier less mess way! Cut the fruit in half. Place in a large bowl, hold one of the halves and whack with a wooden spoon (be careful not to hit your hands while smacking the pom). All the seeds come falling out and there is little to no pith!
PS the juice does not stain, it just needs to be washed out well!
What I want to do this year is grow some pomegranates. My neighbor has two very large shrubs/small trees in her front yard and gets to enjoy fresh pomegranates that she grows without the sticker shock at the store. I remember my step-dad saying how they used to throw pomegranates from his neighborhood at his neighbor’s door as a mean kid prank, but I thought he somehow got them mixed up with persimmons because I didnt think they grew in the Dallas Fort Worth area until I got older.
LOVE IT!!! I have had to buy them already seeded at Costco during the short time that they have them. Besides it being much more expensive, I will be able to have them much more often. My 10 year old son LOVES them, too. Thanks a bunch!
Definitely following you! Thanks for stopping by my blog. Enjoy the rest of the UBParty!